


Pirate Flag

by outlawjames13



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Harry was a baker, Lady Pirate Captain, Louis was a knight, Niall worked in the stables, Pirates, The others are pirates, zayn is a prince
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-17
Updated: 2015-05-27
Packaged: 2018-03-23 10:45:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3765235
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/outlawjames13/pseuds/outlawjames13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zayn Malik, Prince of Willsden, the largest kingdom in the world.<br/>Jo Hammond, Captain of The BlackHeart, most wanted thief on the sea.<br/>Zayn has had everything he ever wanted, when he wanted it, his entire life.<br/>Jo has had to steal and kill to survive from one day to the next.<br/>He has more money than he can spend, girls falling at his feet left and right, and more authority than he knows how to handle.<br/>She has no more than mere pennies and a kitten to her name, a past that is all but unknown, and a crew of thirty men ready to kill at her order.<br/>He's traveling to another country to finish his studies, to prepare him for his future reign as king.<br/>She just happens to be sailing the same way, and in the mood for bloodshed.<br/>He's heard nothing but legends and horror stories about the Captain and her marauding crew.<br/>She's heard nothing but what a selfish, pretty, pampered brat the Prince is.<br/>Powerful royalty. Murdering pirate.<br/>These two people would have never met if they had the choice.<br/>But that's not how fate works.</p><p>Or</p><p>I really wanted to write a pirate au, and I wanted it to have a lady pirate captain.<br/>Enjoy!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

_**yr. 1650** _

The sea is quiet as the princess looks out her small window. She had been excited to make this voyage, to have the chance to travel at sea again. Something about it brought her to life, as if she belonged there, instead of stuck inside the towering walls of the castle. 

She's never liked the monotonous routine of the castle on the island. Wake up, get dressed in clothes that are always too tight, eat too little for breakfast to try to fit into the clothes that are too tight, then lessons. Endless, dull lessons that bore the princess to the point of tears. She's told her mother several times that she's wanted to poke her own eyes out because of how tedious and pointless they are. 

But nothing changes. After lessons, there's lunch. Never completely filling, always leaving her hungry. Then more lessons. Sometimes singing, sometimes sewing. Neither are her forte. Her instructors tell her that her singing could shatter glass, and her needlework isn't much better. Her fingers are too large, too clumsy to be of any use in delicate matters. Her voice is too low, too rough for a princess. 

She isn't very feminine at all. She would prefer to stay in the stables when she has the option, talking to the horses for hours on end, until there's dirt caked under her fingernails and her already messy hair is twisted into unmanageable knots. 

But at sea, on a ship, she can breathe. The salty air fills her with confidence, a feeling that she's at home, where she belongs. Her mother never sails, always sending her daughter alone to foreign countries. There are no rules, no limits on how much she can eat, no tight corsets or obstructive layers to wear under her dress.

That is, when there isn't a nanny following her everywhere she goes. 

Constance isn't really a nanny, but she may as well be. Sent by the queen, the short, plump woman tends to take the mother's side in many things. Including what the princess is to wear while she is traveling. 

"Constance, I've told you I can hardly breathe in this when it's laced up," the princess gasps, bracing herself for another tightening of the laces. She'd been told that supper would be earlier than usual tonight, on account of the dangerous waters they would be sailing through tonight. 

This time she is sailing to a country on the other side of the world, to meet a prince who could potentially become an ally later when she became queen. The princess isn't at all interested in marrying the poor fellow, despite what her mother 'encouraged' her to think. She just wants to talk to him, find out if he is trustworthy or not. 

"And I've told you, your highness, your mother the queen says that you are to wear this. And if she says so, then you must do it," the other woman replies. 

"All this for dinner?" the princess complains again when she is handed her dress. 

It's the one that her mother thinks is her favorite, so of course she sent it along. In reality, the girl could care less about dresses and dishes, dukes and doilies. She'd really like to be helping the crew of the ship, learning how all of the ropes and pulleys and sails and nets come together to make the movement happen. 

When the dress has been wrestled onto her body, the princess is escorted to the captain's study. Being royalty, she isn't forced to dine with the common people of the crew, though she imagines that that may be more fun than her daily dinner dates with the old man, filled with idle talk about what she plans to do when she is queen, something she has no interest in talking about when there is a wide open sea in front of her.  

"Thank you, Johnny," she says to the boy who led her to the door. He bows, then runs off. _Probably to have more fun than I will_ , the princess thinks. 

She opens the door to the captain's study, expecting to see the old, gray-haired man standing there with his usual glass of wine in hand, waiting for her. Instead, she sees someone unfamiliar. 

A tall, curly haired man with sparkling green eyes and a wide smile upon his face. His dark boots are quite worn, fitting themselves to his bowed legs as if they are a second skin. He wears a black jacket, his sword fastened to his waist by a thick belt. His hat - well, the princess assumes it is his hat - sits on the captain's desk, an old, crumpled black thing that has obviously seen better days. 

"Hello, Johanna," he greets. 

"Hello," she replies, not sure of who this man is, or whether he is to be trusted. "Where is the captain?"

"He'll be joining us shortly," the man replies, picking up a book off of the desk that sits in the corner. He flips through the pages, reading some of it before replacing the leather journal back on the wooden surface. "He had some things to take care of first."

"Oh," the princess replies. She's never had to wait for the captain, he'd always been there, ready and waiting for her. "Who are you?" she asks. 

The man laughs. "You don't know my name?"

"No, I can't say that I do. Should I?" she asks, her brash tone surprising the man. 

"You will by the time the night is over," he replies coldly, the smile fading quickly from his face. He takes a deep breath, regaining the cheerful expression just as quickly as he lost it.  "Would you like to go see if we can find the captain out on the deck?"

The girl thinks it over for a moment. She hasn't been out on deck all day, stuck in her quarters, breathing in the stuffy, uncirculated air. She would like to be outside, even if it's just for a few moments. 

"Yes, I would like that," she replies. The man's smile widens, and his eyes seem to sparkle more. 

"Well, then let us go outside."

He holds the door open for her, then holds out his arm for her to take, leading her up the steps and out into the night air. They walk over to the railing, and the princess lets go of the man's arm to set her hands on the wooden barrier. 

"It's lovely, isn't it?" he asks as he walks up to stand beside her and look out at the sea. 

"Yes, it is," she replies, not noticing the sudden emptiness of the deck, the startling quiet of the ship.

Suddenly the man wraps his arms around her, pulling her with him as he falls over the railing and down into the sea.

When she surfaces, the princess finds herself next to a small rowboat with several men aboard who don't look the least bit familiar. One holds his hand out for her to take, and helps her up into the boat. 

"Thank you," she says quietly, wringing the water out of her hair. 

"You're quite welcome," the man replies, drawing the princess' attention. 

He has blue eyes, and long brown hair. His smile is bright, though he looks like he could use a good dunk in the water himself. Come to think of it, they all look rather dirty, the princess thinks. 

"Who are you?" she asks boldly. 

"We're pirates, love," the blue eyed man says. "Haven't you heard of us?"

"Hey!" the green eyed one shouts from the water."Are we going to blow the ship or not?"

"Certainly," the other replies, handing a gun to the blonde man sitting net to him. "Sir gunner, would you like to do the honors?"

"No, you can't do that!" the princess shouts, reaching for the gun herself. Hands reach out to hold her back, pulling her into someone's lap. 

"Think you'd make a fine little poppet for us," a raspy voice snarls in her ear. 

The princess kicks and struggles, gaining nothing for her efforts. She's forced to watch helplessly as the blonde man aims the gun at a large pile of barrels on the ship's deck, and pulls the trigger. 

Then everything explodes. 


	2. Pirate Flag - I

_**yr. 1655** _

“So they never found her?” I ask, looking at the last page of the leather bound journal I’m currently studying, which is much more interesting than the dull lesson I’m supposed to be paying attention to. I’d found it about a month ago when I was digging through some old books in the castle library.

“No your highness, they never found her. I’ve told you that seven times now. Nothing but a dress floating in the water,” my tutor, Samuel, says exasperatedly, running a hand through his greying hair. 

I’ve been asking about this missing princess after I found the journal, which was filled with entries from the ship’s captain. He had been the only one to return from the voyage that caused the princess to disappear. It includes information about the attack, though he didn’t mention what ship it was or where it went afterward. Just that the captain was the only person who made it back to shore, swimming with the help of a piece of driftwood from the remains of his ship, The Steadfast. 

All that remained of the princess was her name, Johanna, and a dress that her mother, the queen, swore was her daughter’s. No paintings were ever done of her, though everyone in the kingdom knew what she looked like. Apparently the girl couldn’t be bothered to sit for a portrait. That might have helped me find her. But all that there is to go by is a dress that was fished out by sailors who happened to see it float by the dock one afternoon. 

Well, that’s no help. People drop trunks of clothes into the harbor all the time. It could have come from anywhere. There’s nothing that would say that it was even her dress, besides the queen's claim. If there was a royal necklace or ring or something tangled in it, that might be a good sign that it was hers, but there was nothing but the dress. Maybe if I can find the captain of the ship, he can help me...

“Your father abandoned the search long ago, along with all the other kingdoms. Even her family has stopped the search. Your highness, there is no way anyone is going to find her. She’s probably dead by now,” Samuel tells me tiredly.

“Well, I’m going to find her,” I say determinedly. 

I want to find this lost princess. From what I’ve heard, she is - or, was - the fairest in all the world, and I deserve the best. After all, I am the prince of Willsden, the largest kingdom in the world. 

"Your highness, there are more important things than lost princesses. There's the issues with the south border, the pirates that are attacking ships going across the channel, -"

"I understand that. But it’s what’s important to me. That makes it an important matter,” I say shortly. He stares at me blankly. “Just continue the lesson,” I say with a dimissive wave of my hand. 

These lessons bore me almost to the point of tears. If it were history or geography I would happily spend all day learning, but my father thinks that it would be more beneficial for me to learn the ways of the government system in our country. As if I don’t already know every detail of it.  

After Samuel finishes the lesson, I’m off to another room, to meet with my father. He sent a message for me at breakfast that he wanted to see me, along with something about a boat. 

I walk down the long hallways, not glancing at the paintings that I’ve seen thousands of times while living in the castle. Most of them are portraits of my family. Being royals and all, we are sort of required to sit for at least one portrait in our lifetime. I’ve had six done of me so far, all lining the wall of the hallway leading to my chambers.

I continue walking down the hall, turning left in front of the painting of my great grandfather, then right at my mother’s portrait, until I reach the door that I’m looking for.

“You wanted to see me, father?” I ask as I walk into my father’s study. 

“Zayn, I’ve told you before to knock before you walk into a room. It’s not polite to -”

“ - just barge in, I know,” I say, completing the sentence I’ve heard over a hundred times. “What do you need to tell me?”

“Your mother and I have decided that you could get a better education in Hampstead. You will be taking a ship there, and shall stay for a year to finish your studies. You leave tomorrow.”

“A year? In Hampstead?” I exclaim, instantly outraged. “Do I get any say in this?”

“You may choose which horse you will be taking.” 

“Are there not horses there?” I ask, crossing my arms. 

“Yes, I suppose there are. I was just suggesting the idea. If you want to take one of your horses with you, then you can. You will be there for a year.”

I huff. “I’ll just get another horse then. No sense in taking one with me when I can get one in Hampstead.”

“Good then. You’re dismissed.”

I huff again, then storm out of the room and up the stairs, slamming the door to my chamber. Hampstead, really? I think Samuel is doing a fine job, even if the lessons are a bit boring. 

I don’t want to go to Hampstead, it’s going to be irritatingly foreign and unfamiliar. 

I lay on my bed, staring up at the glass ceiling of my chamber. 

I suppose he wants me to start packing now. Well, I’m not going to. Because I’m staying here. I’m not going to Hampstead. 

I kick my boots off, pulling the blankets over me, laying there as I stubbornly refuse to prepare myself for this journey that I don’t want to go on. 

<><><><><><><><><><><><><>

“Your highness, wake up.”

“Five more minutes,” I groan, swatting aimlessly as I roll over, burying my face in my soft pillow. The bright sunlight is shining through my window, the drapes already thrown open by the maid, who is trying to wake me up at the moment. 

“Your highness, the ship leaves at noon. The sun is already up, and you need to get ready.”

“ ‘M not going,” I mutter stubbornly. 

“Zayn, you get up this instant! You have a boat to catch and if you aren’t ready in less than ten minutes I will personally make sure you stay in Hampstead longer than a year!” I hear my father call from somewhere in my room. I sigh, then push the blankets off, stepping out of bed. 

 <><><><><><><><><><><><><>

In less than an hour, I am ready for departure. I’ve said my sullen goodbyes to my mother and father, and my two brothers. I’m shoved into a carriage full of my things and we’re off. The countryside that I’m traveling through is quite lovely. Large fields, ethereal vineyards, and gorgeous forests pass by the window of the carriage as it rolls down the road. 

However, the cheerful view is dampened by my displeasure of my father’s orders. I would much rather stay at home, where I know that I can get away with asking Samuel questions about things that I really want to know about. Like lost princesses. I don’t think I’ll be able to _start_ , let alone continue my search while in Hampstead. All my information is here, at home.  

 <><><><><><><><><><><><><>

When we arrive at the docks, it’s clear where I have to go. There’s a long line of royal guards standing along the ramp that leads onto a particular ship, and after all my things are aboard, I walk on myself. 

I stand by the railing as the ship begins to move, waving to the crowd of people that have gathered there to see me off. I see no one that I recognize, but I really couldn’t care less. 

“Well, good morning your highness,” someone says from behind me. I turn around to see a tall man, bowing in respect _. As he should_. “Welcome aboard the Captain’s Night. I’m Captain Johns.”

As he stands up, I get a more clear view of his face. An unsightly, jagged scar runs down the side of his face, splitting it into unbalanced halves. His hair is bordering on decamped, though I imagine if there were more of it it could very plausibly be gray. His eyes, though recessed back into his head, are a steely grey, and seem to be the only thing about him that’s focused. 

“Good morning,” I reply, putting on a fake smile and pretending to be happy. He smiles in return, and I have to discreetly pinch my arm to keep myself from grimacing at his lack of teeth. "Might there be a room for me somewhere aboard? I’m a bit tired from the long carriage ride.”

I’m not really tired, considering I just got out of bed before I left. I just really want to be alone for awhile. The entire journey would be great.

“Of course your highness. I can assure you that your stay aboard will be both comfortable and safe. Danny, show his highness to his quarters.”

A small boy with wild black hair comes running up, and bows quickly before asking me to please follow him, and soon we’re walking into a dark room with a single bed in the corner and my things stacked along the wall. 

“Thank you,” I say as I flop down onto the bed. He takes the hint and leaves, closing the door behind himself. I sigh, looking at the wooden planks above my head. Might as well try to sleep, maybe it will make this horrible journey seem shorter. I pull my jacket from my shoulders, leaving my loose shirt and trousers on, and hang the jacket over the chair next to the bed. Then I lay back down, closing my eyes and choosing to sleep the time away.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><>

I wake later that evening, when the ship suddenly lurches to the side and I fall out of bed. 

“What the - ?” I stand to my feet, fixing my hair before walking over to the door, throwing it open, ready to reprimand the first person I see. 

However, once I see what’s in the other side of the door, I close it just as quickly, looking around the room for something to shove against it to keep it closed.

I now hear the clamor of men fighting, and the clash of swords.

The ship is being attacked. 

I see a rather large trunk in the corner, and quickly dart over to it, pushing it until it sits in front of the door, holding it closed. 

“What do I do, what do I do?” I ask myself, pacing back and forth as I hear the fighting getting closer. Then there’s pounding on the door, as if someone’s trying to get in. 

"Come on, you big oaf!" someone says from the other side. "You can break through _that_ door, but not this one?"

I look around for a weapon, and see a sword hanging on the wall. I run over to it, pulling it from it’s hook and holding it what I assume to be the right way. 

Why did father never give me fencing lessons? 

I hear the door cracking. Last chance to hide, I think. But then I banish the thought from my mind. No. I’m going out like a man. If I die today, I’m going to fight until -

The door breaks down, and I scramble under the bed, still clutching the sword in my hand. 

“Could’ve sworn I heard something in here,” a raspy voice says, the sound moving into the room. The sound of the voice is almost inaudible, nearly drowned out by the roar of the blood through my ears, the accelerated thudding of my heart. I feel my hands shaking as they begin to sweat.

“Well, it doesn’t matter what you heard, there’s obviously nothing in here except - ooh! Look Harry! There’s trunks full of things in here!” another voice exclaims excitedly. 

Go ahead, take my things, just please don’t kill me. I don’t want to die. 

I see two pairs of boots walk across the room, one pair just a bit smaller than the other, before they stop in front of my stack of trunks. 

“We had better tell the Captain about this,” the raspy voice says. 

“But Harry!” the other voice whines. “We found them, can’t we keep them?” 

“Don’t let Liam hear you say that,” the raspy voice says in warning. “He’ll keelhaul you so fast…”

“Fine, I suppose we should tell the Captain. Out you go then.” 

The two pairs of boots walk back out the door, taking a couple of the trunks with them and leaving the room eerily quiet. I sigh, relieved that I wasn’t found, and turn to crawl out from under the bed. 

A man appears right in front of me, a sneer on his face. 

“Well, it seems we missed someone,” he grins. Then he grabs ahold of my ankle, pulling me out from under the bed, making me drop the sword I had been clinging to like a lifeline. 

There’s suddenly ropes around my wrists, and a blindfold over my eyes. 

He throws me over his shoulder, then proceeds to walk out the door. 

“Hey ya lackees! Ya missed one!” he calls. 

I hear evil sounding laughter getting closer as I struggle to get away. I can’t see anything, I can’t get out of his hold. The ropes begin to dig into my skin, rubbing it raw, but I don’t stop.

I don’t want to die, I don’t want to die, I don’t want to die…

“Well, good thing you were in there with us then, Niall,” the raspy voice says. 

“Captain says all prisoners on deck, now,” an authoritative voice says shortly. 

“I’m on my way, obviously,” the guys holding me quips. “Got a bit of baggage slowing me down, can’t exactly run with it.”

Soon I’m set down, and pushed onto my knees. I can’t tell where I am, but I can feel other people on either side of me, both of them quivering in fear like I am. 

“Well, good show lads!” a loud voice says. I feel a chill creep up my spine as the person laughs. “Have all the people been carried over?” 

“Yes Captain, all the people and goods have been brought over,” the authoritative voice says. 

“Very good. Lads, you know what to do.”

I soon hear the sound of wood crackling, and it seems to get warmer all of a sudden, the smell of smoke reaching my nose. Wait. They’re burning the ship! No, no, no, no! These can’t be... _pirates_? This cannot be happening!

“What do you want done with the prisoners?” the raspy voice asks. 

“Let me have a look at them.” 

It’s suddenly deathly silent, the only sound being the steady thud of a single pair of boots on the wooden deck of the ship. I hear them getting closer, and I feel a bead of sweat run down my face. 

I don’t want to die, I don’t want to die, I don’t want to die…

“Well, they all seem utterly useless, and we’ve got no room for them,” the voice says, sounding sickly sweet. “You know what to do.”

“Yes captain,” the raspy voice responds, and I can almost hear the sneer I know he has on his face.

No, no… I don’t want to die.

The pair of boots walks right in front of me, as if the wearer is going somewhere that’s to my left. Then they stop suddenly, and I hear the boots move until they’re right in front of me. 

“My, my, you are a pretty thing aren’t you?” a voice says from right in front of my face. 

It sounds thick and rough, as if the person has spent their entire life barking orders and breathing the smoke from the desecrated ships that the marauding crew has set aflame. 

I feel a hand under my chin, pulling my head up, then tilting it side to side. “Think I might like to keep you.”

Then the hand is gone, leaving a strange, almost dirty feeling behind. 

“Liam!” 

“Yes Captain?” the authoritative voice asks. 

“Leave this one.”

“Yes Captain. What do you want done with him?”

“I don’t know, take him below deck or something. Make sure he can’t go anywhere. I have things to do. I’ll be down later,” the voice says, seemingly bored. “Carry on, lads.”

“Well, you’ll have to stay here until we’ve finished, but you can count yourself lucky you’ve got such a pretty face,” the authoritative voice says, moving until it's in front of me somewhere. “Oi! Get on with it!”

I hear the distinct sound of blades slicing through skin, then splashes follow. They’re killing people and throwing the bodies overboard, I can tell that much without being able to see. 

I feel something wet, warm, and sticky hit me, and then the two people on either side of me are gone, falling to the depths of the sea, the splattered blood running down my cheek. 

“Well, now what?” I hear the raspy voice ask. 

“Now, we drink!” someone shouts. They’re soon joined by others, until it seems like the whole crew is yelling things. 

Suddenly I’m lifted up and thrown over someone’s shoulder, being carried off. I struggle weakly, knowing that there’s probably no use. 

“Calm down, I’m just taking you to the brig. You’ll be fine,” the authoritative voice says. “Don’t know why, could have just killed you along with the rest of them,” he adds, talking more to himself than to me.

The air seems to get colder, and after several minutes of walking, I’m finally set down on my feet again. The ropes around my wrists and ankles are loosened, replaced by cold iron shackles that hold my hands behind my back.

“The captain will be down shortly,” is the last thing I hear before the door shuts and I’m left alone. 


	3. Pirate Flag - II

**Pirate Flag - II**

Several long, nerve wracking hours have passed before I hear the sound of the wooden door creaking open, and boots walking into wherever I am.

"You know, there's a perfectly good seat behind you. You don't have to stand," a voice says. 

Well it would help if I could see it. I've been stumbling around every time the ship moves, trying to stay on my feet. 

"Here," the voice says, suddenly right in front of me. I feel hands on my shoulders, pushing me backward a couple steps. "Sit."

I almost fall, but manage to sit down on the bench and lean back against the wall.

"My goodness Liam, you've certainly made a proper mess of his face," the voice says, still in front of me.

"Not my fault. Harry and Louis were the ones -" 

"Did I _ask_ you to talk back?" I stiffen at the cold tone of the voice. "Go fetch me a wet rag." I hear footsteps leave, and I'm left alone with whoever this is.

"So, where are you from?" the voice asks. 

I don't speak. The less I say, the less they can use to get to me. Father taught me that.

"Hmmm. So you're not going to talk to me? Pity. I bet you have a lovely voice."

"Here you go, Captain," the authoritative voice - Liam - says. 

"Thank you Liam."

I flinch away when something cold and wet comes in contact with my cheek, making the Captain laugh.

"Come now, hold still. I'm just cleaning your pretty face off. You've got blood all over yourself."  

I hold still for my face to be cleaned, but the Captain doesn't stop there. I feel the cloth slide down my neck, into the collar of my shirt. 

"Liam, I thought you said you had all the valuables from the ship," the Captain mutters. 

"Yes captain, we took them all," Liam replies, sounding confused.

"Well you missed one." 

I feel a hand reach into my shirt, pulling out the long chain that I always wear around my neck, the heavy weight of the royal crest dangling from the end.

"My, my, you're a bit more valuable than I thought," the Captain purrs. "It seems we're in the presence of royalty Liam." 

"Does this change anything, Captain?" Liam asks. I hope it doesn't. Please don't kill me...

"Of course not. It just means we have something very valuable to haul around with us," the Captain says as I feel a hand cup my chin. "So, tell me. Are you the king, or one of his self centered sons?"

Excuse me, I am not self centered! I think about others. Mostly what they have that will benefit me, but I still think of others.

"Still not talking, are we?" The hand leaves my face. "Well, you seem a little young to be a king, and kings never travel alone. So you must be a son. But which one?"

"Captain. There's a quarrel on deck," a voice calls from somewhere a little ways away.

"Liam, see to it," the Captain orders. 

Once Liam leaves, I hear something move. 

"Well darling, I had hoped to get at least something out of you, but I'm afraid that's all I have time for. I'll send Liam down with something for you to eat in a little bit." The voice sounds as if it's getting further away, along with the sound of the Captain's boots thudding along the floor. Then the door closes, and I'm left alone once again.

Where am I? The question keeps swirling around my head. I'm obviously on a pirate ship. But which one? All I know are captain's names, not whoever they send to do things, but I haven't heard what this captain's name is once while I've been here. Have I been captured by Black Jack the Gambler, with his forty thieves? Or Mark, the Destroyer? I do hope it isn’t Scarlet John. But what of the ship’s name? Am I aboard Poseidon’s Pearl? Maybe the White Wolf? Or the Merry Marauder? 

Whichever it is, the captain seems to keep their ship very clean. Either that or I've gotten lucky again. The room or whatever that I'm sitting in doesn't smell foul or anything, doesn't feel overly damp. The floorboards seem solid, instead of rotting away under my feet.

It would help if I could see. That would be nice. But I can’t get my hands up to my face to take the blindfold off, the chains attached to my wrists aren’t long enough. So I’m left sitting in the dark. 

I hear footsteps, and soon the door opens again. 

“Captain says you’re to be brought up to eat with us,” Liam’s voice says. I feel hands on my arms, and then the shackles are taken off, falling to the floor with a clang. Then there’s ropes around my wrists again, holding my arms behind my back. 

“Come on then, let’s go,” Liam says, grabbing my arm and pulling me along with him.

I feel the air get clearer as we walk farther, and soon I hear loud shouting, slowly getting louder.  

“There he is!” I hear a loud voice shout. “Lads, you better stand, there’s a royal among us!”

I can't see them, but I can feel them, seemingly hundreds of eyes on me all at once as the people in the room quiet down. 

“Hello _princess_ ,” I hear the Captain’s voice say from next to me. “We’ve been waiting for you. Have a seat.” 

I’m pushed down into a chair, and the shouting picks up again, everyone returning to what they were doing. 

“Liam! Get the lad some rum!” 

“Yes Captain.”

“I suppose you’d like to see where you are, wouldn’t you?” I hear the Captain say. Then the blindfold is pulled from my face, and I blink, my eyes adjusting to the lantern lit room before I look around. 

I’m sat at the end of a long table covered in all different kinds of food, about thirty men shoveling food into their faces lining the sides.  

“My goodness, your eyes are quite lovely as well,” I hear the Captain say. I turn my head to the side, my eyebrows furrowing as I set my eyes upon... a woman. 

Her dark red hair falls in a thick mess of tight curls around her shoulders, a single braid lying along the side of her face. Her hooded eyes watch me with amusement, as if she’s used to this sort of confused reaction. 

“You were expecting a man, weren’t you?” she asks with a smirk. “They all do.” She grabs a cup off of the table, lifting it to her lips to take a drink, her green eyes still on me. 

Since when is there a ship with a _woman_ as captain? This isn’t normal, there’s - _No_. I feel my eyes get wide and the blood leave my face as I realize in horror what ship I’m on, who is sitting next to me. 

Jo Hammond, Siren of the Sea, Captain of the BlackHeart. 

This is probably the worst thing that could have happened to me. No, this is awful. I couldn’t just get kidnapped by _regular_ , run of the mill pirates, it _had_ to be the most ruthless, cutthroat pirates, with the ship that has never been seen by a person who is still living, yet is responsible for the most stolen goods, missing and dead people in the entire kingdom. 

“What’s wrong princess? You look as if you just saw a ghost,” the Captain purrs from next to me, her voice right in my ear. I flinch away, my eyes wide as saucers. “Oh come now, I’m not going to kill you. Not yet anyway.” She reaches out, running her finger along the side of my jaw, turning my head back to face her. “It would make a mess over my supper. Can’t have that now, can we?” 

She takes another drink, still watching me. 

“You know, I pictured you with blue eyes,” she says easily, as if talking to a friend about the weather. “But brown is a nice color too. Suits you better. Besides, we’ve got enough blue eyes on this ship to last a lifetime.”

“Captain.” I turn at the sound of Liam’s voice, and see a tall man with dark eyes and thick, strong arms standing there. He sets a cup on the table. 

“Thank you Liam. Carry on,” she replies. Then she turns back to me. “I suppose you’d like something to eat, wouldn’t you?” 

I hesitate, then nod slightly. I am a bit hungry. I skipped breakfast to get to my ship on time. And we’d been attacked before I could eat anything else. 

“Well then. Niall, go fix a plate for the princess.” I grit my teeth at her use of the name, but I don’t say anything. 

When a plate of food is sat on the table in front of me, I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do. 

“Go on, eat.” 

I turn to look at the Captain, confused. She can’t be serious. I can’t eat without my hands, unless… No, I am not about to eat like a dog. That’s ridiculous.   

“ _Eat_ princess,” she smirks, leaning back in her seat and kicking her boots up onto the table, crossing her ankles. Suddenly I don’t want to eat anymore. But my stomach contradicts my thoughts, growling loudly. 

“It’s only going to get colder the longer you sit there.” 

I look at the plate, feeling conflicted, but very hungry. If I don’t eat now, who knows how long it will be until they let me eat again?

I swallow my pride, and slowly lean down, sinking my teeth into the piece of meat on my plate, biting a bit of it off before sitting back up, chewing the food before swallowing. My eyes glance around shamefully, hoping no one saw what I just did, but the rest of the crew seems to take no notice of me, thankfully. 

However there’s one pair of eyes that seems intent on just staring at me. 

He sits across the table from me, with long, dark curls around his face. His hat is pulled down low over his green eyes, and his face is pulled into a scowl. A long, jagged scar crosses over his left eye. But unlike Captain Johns, the scar on this man’s face seems to belong there, as if it has become a part of him, adding to his dark persona.

“Harold, that’s no way to look at our guest,” the Captain scolds playfully, making the man turn and look at her, his face softening by just a fraction. “Be nice.” 

Then she turns to me. “He’s a bit hard-nosed. Doesn’t like newcomers. Now Niall down there,” she says, gesturing with her cup toward a blonde sitting at the other end of the table, “he’s pretty friendly, if you catch him on the right day.” 

I lean down again, taking another bite. Suddenly my hunger is too much to take, and I don’t care as much about the way I’m eating, just that I’m getting food into my stomach. 

The Captain keeps talking to the man across from me, saying something about where they're going to be docking next. 

Before I know it, I've finished my plate, and am now staring at the cup of rum in front of me, wondering how I'm supposed to get a drink. 

“Why, whatever is the matter, princess? You look as if you’re about to cry,” the Captain says, her hand coming under my chin to turn my face toward her. 

My eyes dart over to the cup, hoping she’ll get what I’m trying to ask and either untie me or do something so I can get a drink. 

“Is the princess thirsty?” she asks with a smirk as I scowl at the name. “Are you?”

I nod. She grabs the cup, holding it up to me as if it’s the most normal thing for her to do, letting me drink my fill before setting it back on the table.

By now mostly all of the crew members have left the large room, going off to different parts of the ship. But I don’t know what to do, so I sit where I am. It’s not like I have much of a choice.

When the Captain yawns and calls for Liam again, I’m almost asleep in the chair I’m sitting in. 

“Yes Captain?” 

“Take him back down below deck, would you? Let the poor thing get some sleep,” she orders, petting the top of my head as if I’m some child. "Might want to put the blindfold on him again. Who knows what's down there at this time of night." 

What? There's things down there? Like what? Now my mind is filled with different things that could possibly harm me. 

What if there's spiders? Or snakes? Even rats would scare me.

Liam ties the cloth around my face again, putting me back into darkness, then pulls me up from my chair, leading me out the door. As we get farther below deck, I feel a chill creep up my spine. 

I know I’m probably overreacting, but now I’m afraid to go back to wherever I was before. What if they’ve got some monster down there that’s going to try to eat me?

Liam puts the shackles on my wrists again, shoving me down onto the bench.

"Goodnight, _princess_ ," he sneers before walking away, leaving me in the dark.

Maybe it's just my imagination, but I hear something moving. It sounds like it's coming closer. 

Suddenly I feel a hand on my leg, and nearly jump out of my skin.

"Your highness?" a small voice asks.

"Danny?" I ask, relieved that it isn't some beast that's come to eat me.

"I thought they'd killed you," he says shakily, climbing up into my lap. “I thought I was the only one left.”

“They didn’t...?” I start to ask, but stop, unsure of my question.

“The Captain said that they won’t kill me. Did you meet her yet?” I can feel him look up at me, even though I can’t see it. 

“Yes, I met her.”

“What did you think?” he asks. 

“What do you mean, what do I think? She’s a pirate, she’s awful,” I say shortly. 

“Oh. I thought she was pretty.” 

_What_? That’s the first thing he thought when he saw her? Not that she’s killed thousands of innocent people, or how many families she’s ruined, but that she’s _pretty_? Kid, you need to get your priorities straight. 

“Don’t you think she’s pretty?” he asks, clinging to me as if I'm some sort of lifeline.

“Sure,” I sigh, trying to get him to stop talking. In reality, I know she’s a cruel, heartless pirate, and if she says she won’t kill Danny, there must be some ulterior motive behind it. 

I’m suddenly really tired, and all I want to do is sleep. Though I’m not sure how I will, I can’t exactly lay down with the way my arms are chained behind my back. Maybe if I just lean back against the wall. 

At least I won't be cold tonight.


	4. Pirate Flag - III

**Pirate Flag - III**

The next morning, I’m shaken awake, a small voice shouting in my ear.

“Wake up, there’s food! Wake up!”

Apparently Danny is still here. 

I roll my head to the side, still seeing nothing as the blindfold is still tied around my head. I can only imagine the state of untidiness my hair must be in. My back cracks as I sit up, my shoulders pushing off of the wall I was leaned against all night. It’s a wonder I got any sleep at all, what with the uncomfortable accommodations and Danny’s constant chatter. The kid just doesn’t shut his mouth.

I hear the door open, and the sound of heavy footfalls move closer to me. 

“Captain says you’re eating with us again,” Liam’s voice rasps in my ear. The shackles fall from my wrists, and before I can move my hands, they’re bound together with rope. Then I’m hoisted up onto my feet, and pulled forward. 

“Come on, Danny boy,” Liam calls, an inkling of fondness in his tone. I hear the boy’s small feet on the wooden planks, following as Liam drags me through the ship, until we reach our destination, and then I’m pushed into a chair. Everyone is talking, and I hear Danny’s excited chattering somewhere near me, but I can’t see him. 

Suddenly the room falls silent, the only sound a single pair of boots making it’s way over to where everyone is.

“Morning lads,” the Captain greets. “As you were.” 

The talking is resumed, and I hear the captain sit down in her chair. 

“Morning princess,” she says, her tone suddenly a bit more lively, as if she wasn’t expecting me to be here, and she’s happy to see me. “Are you going to grace us with the sound of your voice today?”

I don’t answer, instead sitting silent in my chair. 

“Well, I can’t say that I’m not disappointed, but I would have been surprised if you gave in that quickly.” 

I feel her pull the cloth from my head, and I blink in the sudden bright light. A plate sits in front of me, a cup of rum next to it. I sigh, knowing I’ll probably be reduced to eating like an animal again, then look around, trying to find something that might be able to help me get out of here. 

I see nothing within reach that I can grab, not that I could have anyway. All I see are men eating and drinking, talking and joking with each other. 

One sits at the opposite end of the table as the Captain, his arms crossed over his chest, his feet propped on top of the table, eyeing me as if he’s trying to estimate how much of a fight I’ll put up. Then his blue eyes flicker over to where the Captain sits, darkening a bit as he runs his tongue over his lower lip. 

I look over at the Captain, who seems to be very complacent with the look he’s giving her, returning it with one of her own.  

Next to the staring one sits a lively blonde man, his bright blue eyes sparkling as he talks animatedly with Danny. Why is he making friends with them? They’re probably just going to kill him sooner or later.

Across from the blonde one sits Liam, smiling as he watches the two laughing and talking. 

“Aren’t you going to eat, princess?” the Captain asks, causing my head to turn back to look at her, glowering at the name. “What?” she asks with a smirk. “I don’t know your name, darling, what else am I supposed to call you?” 

I turn away, looking at plate, preparing myself for the humiliation that is about to come.

“You know, if you told me your name, I might be able to untie you,” she says, her voice silky smooth, and I turn to look at her, judging how serious she is about her offer. 

Now I have a choice. Eat like a dog, and keep my name to myself, putting fewer people at risk and possibly making her mad, or tell her my name, endangering the rest of my family, and get the use of my hands for who knows how long. 

It seems my decision has been made for me.

I look back down at my plate, then lean forward, taking a bite of whatever it is that they’ve decided to feed me, staying silent. 

“Well, seems we’ve got a stubborn one,” the Captain muses. 

Then she turns to the man with the green eyes.

“Harry, did you get a count on all the loot?”

“Yes Captain,” he answers, pulling a piece of paper from inside the band of his hat, unfolding it and laying it on the table. “If Louis and I counted right, there should be enough for each of us to get a few hundred apiece,” he says with a side smile. I slowly clear my plate as they talk, listening to their conversation.

“Well, that’s lovely,” she says with a smile. 

“There was one thing we had trouble with though. There were some clothes that we found that are too small for any of us, so I thought we should ask you what we should do with them,” Harry adds. 

“How small are they?” she asks. “Would they fit him?” She nods toward Danny. Harry nods.

“They might be a little big, but the lad can grow into them.”

“Well, might as well ask,” she says. Then she stands, and the room goes silent again. “Louis and Harry have counted the loot, and it seems there are - how many would you say, Louis?”

“Two trunks full, Captain,” the man at the end replies, eyeing her up and down. 

“Two trunks full of clothes that are too small for any of us, but might fit this young lad here.” She motions to Danny. “What do you all think we should do with them?”

One man stands, leaning on his chair for support. 

“I think we ought to give them to the lad. He might have use for them,” he says, then sits back down. 

“Two trunks full of clothes though?” Louis counters, staying seated. “No lad could possibly need that many clothes.”

“I’m with Louis,” Liam says, standing to his feet. “Perhaps we should let the lad pick a few things, and then do something with the others.” The man who first stood up nods, agreeing.

“Alright, it seems we’ve reached a decision then,” the Captain announces. “Danny boy, you go with Harry after breakfast, and you can pick out three things, and we’ll take the rest to the next cathedral we stop at. Savvy?” 

There’s a loud shout of concurrence, and the Captain nods, sitting back down, everyone returning to their food and drink. 

What was that? I've sat in on some of my father's meetings with diplomats from other countries, and they've never gone that smoothly. Is this some sort of democracy or something? And what's with this cathedral they're taking things to? They don’t just burn everything they can’t use? They’re going to give things away? What is this? I’ve never heard of _pirates_ doing such things. 

“You look confused princess, what’s wrong?” the Captain asks. I look at her, not saying anything. “Did you think we were going to let it go to waste?” she asks. “There’s people who can use the things that we take from ships better than we, so we give it to them.” 

I look away, understanding her point. But I’m still confused. Pirates are cruel, bitter, heartless killers. Why would they give charity? They don’t care about anyone other than themselves.

I shake my head, taking another bite of whatever sort of food this is. It’s not bad, but it isn’t what I’m used to. I can usually tell what they serve in the castle, and I have no idea what sort of thing they’ve mashed up to feed everyone on the ship. 

“Mutton,” the Captain says. I look up, confused. “It’s mutton,” she repeats, nodding toward my plate. Oh, that’s what it is. I nod, then look up at the cup of rum that I can’t pick up, my mouth feeling suddenly dry.

“You know, it would probably work out better for you if you said something. Used your words, perhaps?” she says, picking up the cup and holding it to my lips, acting as if it were a normal everyday sort of thing. 

After most of the crew has left, off to do whatever it is that they do when they aren’t killing people, the Captain tells Liam to take me back below deck. 

So I’m blindfolded and dragged through the ship again, then chained to the wall and left in the dark to wait. 

As I wait, I think of a way to escape. I don’t know what the layout of the ship looks like, so that’s something I need to figure out. But they blindfold me every time I’m moved. 

I don’t have any sort of weapon, but I think I can grab one off of someone else who isn’t watching. 

But how do I get untied? I can’t do it myself, obviously, or I would have done it already. 

_Maybe I should talk. She said she would untie me if I did._

No. That isn’t an option. I’m not going to say a single word while I’m on this ship. Which won’t be much longer. They aren’t going to get a sound out of me. 

I don’t know how long I sit there, just trying to figure out a way to get off this accursed ship, but it’s dark when the blindfold is pulled from my face again, when I’m sat at the table next to the Captain’s chair. 

The difference from last time though, is that Danny is sitting across from me instead of Harry. It seems he really wanted to annoy me specifically tonight. 

“Don’t you think she’s nice?” he asks me. “I think she’s nice. She said I could stay with them if I wanted, or - “

“Don’t you find that strange?” I ask him quietly, almost whispering. “They want you to stay with them? You don’t think there’s anything wrong with that?”

He shakes his head, his dark hair flying everywhere. “No. I don’t. She’s nice and she lets me call her Jo, and she said I can sleep in her quarters instead of below deck, and - “

“She’s not nice, Danny. None of them are. They’re cruel, heartless killers,” I hiss. 

But he won’t see reason, babbling on about how the Captain said something about a kitten, and he really wants to see it, and pet it, and play with it, and I think all hope is lost with this boy. 

“Danny boy, are you annoying the princess?” the Captain’s smooth voice says as she takes her seat, setting a plate of food in front of me. “That’s not very nice.”

“No ma’am. I was just telling him about the kitten you were talking about,” Danny answers, smiling brightly at her like she’s his mother. She returns the smile, though I can’t tell if it’s genuine or not. 

“Why don’t you go sit with Niall again, I think Harry will be wanting his seat,” she says warmly.

He nods, then gets up, racing down the table to claim his seat by the blonde man at the end, who greets him with a loud laugh and a smile. 

“I do hope you aren’t putting ideas into his head,” she says lowly. I turn to look back at her, and find her half scowling at me. “I saw you talking to him.” She takes a sip of rum from her cup. “Why will you talk to him, yet you refuse to talk to me?” 

I stay silent, turning back to my plate and beginning to eat. 

“My goodness, someone has an attitude tonight,” she says. 

She doesn’t say much the rest of the meal, talking to Harry instead. When most everyone has left, save about five of the others, she turns to me again. 

“I’ll make you a deal, princess. You can stay somewhere more comfortable for the night,” she pauses, looking at me to make sure I’m paying attention, which I am. “ _If_... you tell me your name.”

I pause for a moment, mulling it over. 

  
_That bench is uncomfortable_. I’m not sure if I want to spend another night trying to fall asleep sitting up. 

No. I can’t tell her anything. 

I shake my head and turn away from her, silently saying that I’m not going to say anything.

“Well, suit yourself then. Liam!”

Within seconds, Liam is dragging me blindly through the ship, and then I’m back to where I started, still in the dark. 

I don’t hear Danny moving around, and assume that he’s staying with the Captain for the night. But then I hear something move, and I know it wasn’t me. I turn my head, trying uselessly to see what it could have been. 

I don’t hear it again for a while, and guess that it was just my imagination. 

Just as I’m about to fall asleep, I feel something move across my foot, and I kick, trying to get it away from me. 

I hear a squeak, and my head turns toward it, trying to figure out what made the noise. 

Then something crawls up my arm, and I jerk, trying to get it off, but it doesn’t move, no matter how hard I shake.

By now my heart is thudding at an accelerated pace, hammering against the cage of my ribs. I’ve begun to sweat, soaking the blindfold as the perspiration runs down my face. 

In a desperate attempt to free myself of this cling on, I slam my shoulder back against the wall. I feel the thing jerk, then it’s grip loosens, and it falls from my arm, leaving a warm, wet stickiness behind. 

I stay silent, my breathing heavy and harsh in the sudden silence, trying to listen for any other sounds. When I hear none, I breathe a shaky sigh of relief, hoping that there will be no more strange things tonight.  


	5. Chapter 4

I stayed awake for hours that night, unable to fall asleep. When Liam came to get me the next morning, I could hardly stay upright, I was so tired. He had to practically drag me to the table, and I all but fell into the chair. 

The Captain noticed my state of weariness, but she didn't ask what happened. I'm willing to wager that she knew what was down there, and still left me defenseless against it. She knows what she's doing.

She's working to make me crack, to give in to her demands and spill everything I know (Which happens to be a lot, in my opinion). To give them information. Then she'll no doubt toss me aside, likely right over the railing on the deck of the ship, straight into the sea, leaving me to a drowned death in the depths of the unforgiving waters. 

But I haven't said anything yet, not in three days. No words have left my mouth since I talked to Danny, though he stills speaks to me sometimes at meals.

Speaking of the boy, he's been allowed to sleep somewhere else. Instead of having to stay in the vermin ridden place that I still haven't seen, he's been sleeping in the Captain's quarters. He's told me so himself. All of the crew seems to have taken a liking to the boy, whether it's for his elaborate telling of outlandish fairy tales or his unbelievable clumsiness, I know not. But it doesn't concern me. He doesn't want to leave, so I won't include him in my plan to escape this abhorrent ship. 

"Evening, princess," the Captain greets. I don't even look at her. She looks the same each day. Wild red curls, shifty green eyes, and smooth, almost seductive, voice. "Are you going to talk tonight?" 

She asks me the same question every night, restating her offer of better sleeping quarters in exchange for my name. I refuse each night, uttering naught. 

This night is no different, save the cross edge in her voice. I stare at my plate, not saying anything. I can feel her frustration rolling off of her in waves, but I don't react. If I show weakness, she'll use it against me. 

The rest of the meal is spent not looking at her, knowing she'll be glaring at me. She cuts into her meat with a vengeance, taking out her frustration on the food. She usually calms down by the time everyone is gone, but tonight she remains irate. 

After I've cleared my plate, I wait for her to either ask me for my name again or order Liam to take me away. I am not disappointed, as I hear her voice, though still acidic, make her offer again.

"Princess, if you tell me your name, you can stay in a more comfortable place tonight." 

Her words are clipped, each syllable pronounced carefully, as if she wants to make sure she gets her point across. I start to turn away, giving her my silent answer, but she isn't having any of it tonight. 

Her hand grips my hair, turning my face toward her, and I see the fleeting glint of metal before I feel the sharp tip of her knife blade pressing into my throat. My heart speeds up, and I can't seem to get enough air into my lungs, no matter how much I gasp for it.

"Think _very_ carefully about your answer, princess," she says fiercely, her eyes boring into mine. "I would _hate_ to have to throw your pretty face overboard in pieces."

I say nothing, but try to move back, away from the blade that is seconds away from ripping through my skin. But she has a strong grip on my hair, and I can't budge.

"Come along, _princess_ ," she snarls through her teeth, "Talk." 

My eyes dart away from hers, wide with terror, knowing that this may be the last thing I see. I feel the blade start to press harder against my skin, and I close my eyes, not wanting to see the look of satisfaction on her face when she ends me. 

It's about to cut me, shred me to bits, I'm about to die, at the hands of a -

"Z - Zayn," I stutter. "My name... is Zayn."

"So you _do_ talk," she says, her voice still rough. The blade is moved away from me, and she releases my hair. My head falls forward, and I look to my feet in shame. "Well, _Zayn_ , follow me. I do believe you have another place to stay for tonight."

She stands, pulling me up with her, then she calls for Liam, who grips my arm and pulls me along as he follows her, this time toward the deck of the ship, instead of back into the depths of it. We go up to the deck, in fact. 

I look up at the sky, seeing it for the first time in nearly a week. Somehow the stars seem to be shining brighter than I remember. 

The deck is lit with lanterns and torches, several of the crew members walking about, checking the sails and riggings, making sure everything is in it's place. 

The Captain leads us to set of stairs, then up them, and through a worn, wooden door. Inside, there's a room, with another door on the other side. She opens it, and walks through, Liam pulling me along behind her. 

"He'll stay here," she says to Liam as she opens a third door, leading to a small, yet almost cozy looking room, lit by a single lantern hanging in the center of the room. A bed sits against the wall, two hammocks hanging from the beams overhead on the opposite side of the room. Danny is curled up in one of them, asleep.

"Yes Captain. Is that all?" Liam asks. 

"Yes, that's it for the night, you're dismissed," she replies, taking off her overcoat,  revealing an array of weapons strapped to her torso. She hangs it on the hook near the door as Liam walks out, closing the door behind himself. She looks over at me.

"Go on then, make yourself comfortable," she says, nodding toward the unoccupied hammock. How am I supposed to get in that thing without my hands? I stand there, looking confusedly at it.

"But..." I say, my voice no louder than a whisper. 

"What?" she asks, walking over to stand by me, looking at me with a small smile. 

"How... " I start, not able to put the words together. I haven't said anything in so long, it's as if I've forgotten how to talk. "How am I supposed to...?" I move my hands uselessly, trying to get my point across.

"Perhaps if you asked nicely, I could help you," she says, smiling as if she finds amusement in my frustration. I huff, my brows furrowing as I glare at the obstacle. She giggles, then turns away. "Suit yourself then."

I take the opportunity that she isn't looking, and try climbing into the hammock, nearly falling on my face, but managing to get myself into a somewhat comfortable position. I've no idea how I'm going to get up in the morning, but for now I'm off the ground, in a place where there are no creatures to try and attack me. 

Or so I thought. 

A small, furry thing claws it's way up onto the hammock, moving until it's right in front of my face. 

The rust colored kitten swats at my nose with it's tiny white paw, then mews quietly. 

"There you are," I hear the Captain's voice say, and then the kitten is lifted up, hissing in protest. It claws it's way up her arm, then sits on her shoulder, nearly vanishing in the mess of her hair as she walks over to the lantern, putting out the small flame and sending the room into darkness. 

I hear her shuffling as she climbs into bed, and try to get a bit more comfortable myself. I fall asleep much too quickly, thankful that I'm laying down instead of sitting. 

The next morning, I wake before anyone comes to get me, even before the Captain is awake. 

The room is still dark, but I can see the morning sunshine peeking through the cracks in the door and the small porthole in the wall. 

Few things are kept in this room, from what I can see. The place is nearly empty except for the bed, a chair, the two hammocks, a small chest at the foot of the bed, and a rather large tub. There are two hooks on the wall next to the door. On one of them hangs the Captain's coat, and on the other hangs a multitude of different belts and straps, each holding some sort of weapon. 

After scanning the room for another way out and coming up with nothing, my eyes fall on the Captain.

She lays on her stomach, her wild hair thrown everywhere, snoring quietly. One leg sticks out to the side, her foot sticking out from under the blankets, which are in a state of disarray. The kitten lays next to her hand, purring loudly, it's rust-colored fur blending into her curls, one white paw standing out. 

A knock on the door makes the Captain stir, a loud snort coming from her mouth.

"Captain," Liam's voice calls. 

"I'm up," she says, her voice low and gravelly, waving one hand dismissively at the door, as if Liam was actually standing in the room instead of being on the other side of the door.  

"Danny, get up," she says, not even looking at him. Within seconds, the boy is running over to her and jumping on the bed, startling the kitten. It hisses, making Danny laugh. 

"Morning Jo," he says, pulling a piece of her hair out of her face, letting him see her small smile.

"Morning," she replies. "Can you get my boots for me?" 

He fetches them for her, setting them at the foot of the bed before he runs out the door, going to find Niall. 

The Captain pulls on her boots, then stands, her shirt hanging loosely around her frame. She looks around for a moment before bending over and picking up her leather vest, which she then wraps around herself, lacing the front tightly as she turns toward me. 

"Get up, breakfast is ready," she says, not looking up from her task. As if I can get up by myself. She walks over to the hooks by the door, grabbing each of the belts and straps and putting them on, crisscrossing them over her body. Then she puts her jacket on, which covers most of the weapons. 

Then she turns to me. 

"Get up, princess, there's food. You don't want to go hungry, do you?"


End file.
